Erica Verrillo has written seven books and published five. She doesn't know why anyone with an ounce of self-preservation would ever want to publish. But, if you insist on selling your soul to the devil, learn how to do it right: marketing, literary agents, book promotion, editing, pitching your book, how to get reviews, and ... most important of all ... everything she did wrong.
In the interests of protecting the right to free speech, she did not vote for Trump.
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Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Speculative fiction publishers have a tradition of accepting manuscripts directly from authors.

This is a genre that has a market of readers who think in terms of possibilities, and who don't, as a rule, like to follow the mainstream.

These readers also have their own networks, which means a science fiction novel can achieve fame strictly through word-of-mouth ( e.g. Wool). Publishers in this genre realize that mavericks have a place in the sci-fi world, and are thus willing to work directly with writers.

Because many sci-fi houses publish fantasy as well, fantasy writers also get a break.

As always, go to the publisher's website, and read everything on it before you submit your work.

Baen Books was founded in 1983 by science fiction editor and publisher Jim Baen (now deceased). Baen was one of the first publishers to use the Internet as a means of "spreading the word" about a book or author.

In addition to publishing emerging authors, Baen republishes older science fiction in collections and omnibus editions, such as the works of the 1960s authors Christopher Anvil and others.

What they are looking for: Science fiction and fantasy. Powerful plots with solid scientific and philosophical underpinnings are essential for science fiction submissions. For fantasy, any magical system must be both rigorously coherent and integral to the plot, and overall the work must at least strive for originality. Manuscripts should be at least 100,000 words, but if your novel is really wonderful send it along regardless of length.

Reporting time: usually within 9 to 12 Months.

How to submit: Complete manuscript accompanied by a synopsis. No simultaneous submissions.

Attach the manuscript as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) file. Any other format will not be considered.

Send the manuscript as a single file (do not break it into separate chapter files). The form only accepts a single file so any synopsis and contact info needs to be in the file with your manuscript.

Your submission must include your name, email address, postal mailing address, and telephone number on both your cover letter and the first page of the manuscript. If you have an alternate permanent email address, please include it, in case your primary account goes out of service. Include a plot outline if possible.

You may include your ideal cover treatment, including cover copy, a teaser page, and whatever else you would like.

Hardcopy Submissions: (for those who cannot submit electronically)

Standard manuscript format only: double-spaced, one side of the page only, 1 1/2" margins on all four sides of the page. They will consider photocopies if they are dark and clear.

Font must be seriphed or at least semi-seriphed, 12-point or greater.

Title, author (last name only is okay), and page number at the top of each page are mandatory. Include your name, mailing address, and telephone number on the first page.

All submissions should be accompanied by a stamped return envelope. Submissions from outside the U.S. should be accompanied by sufficient International Reply Coupons.

DAW is part of the Penguin Group.From the website: Founded in 1971 by veteran paperback editor Donald A. Wollheim, along with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, DAW Books was the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy. Now more than 30 years and more than a thousand titles later, DAW has a well-deserved reputation for discovering and publishing the hottest talents in the industry. Many stars of the science fiction and fantasy field made their debuts in the pages of a DAW book, including Tad Williams, C. J. Cherryh, Mercedes Lackey, Melanie Rawn, C.S. Friedman, Jennifer Roberson, and Tanith Lee. Despite its high profile, DAW is still a small private company, owned exclusively by its publishers, Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. Betsy and Sheila are strongly committed to discovering and nurturing new talent, and to keeping a personal "family" spirit at DAW—something they feel is all too rare in today's world of international conglomerate publishing.

What they are looking for: Science fiction and fantasy novels. The average length of the novels is almost never less than 80,000 words. They do not want short stories, short story collections, novellas, poetry, or novels in other genres.

How to submit: DAW does not accept electronic submissions. Send the complete manuscript with a cover letter. Manuscripts must be letter-quality computer-generated. Clear photocopies are acceptable. The manuscript should be on 8 1/2" x 11" paper or a close equivalent, double-spaced, with at least 1" wide margins all around. Please use only one side of the page, number your pages consecutively, and put the title of your novel at the top of each page if possible. Manuscripts should always be unbound.

Type your name, address and phone number in the upper right hand corner of the first page of your manuscript. Right under this, please put the length of your manuscript in number of words.

Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your submission for correspondence. Manuscripts will not be returned,

TOR was founded by publisher Tom Doherty in 1980. It was sold to St. Martin's Press in 1986, making it part of the Holtzbrinck group. Tor has published more award-winning and -nominated science fiction books than any other publisher.

What they are looking for: Science fiction, as well as other genre fiction. Imprints include Starscape: science fiction and fantasy for middle grade readers ages 10 and up (grades 5 and up), published in hardcover and paperback, and Tor Teen, science fiction and fantasy for young adult readers ages 13 and up (grades 8 and up), published in hardcover and paperback. All titles are age- and theme-appropriate. Some editions include reader’s guides and other supplemental materials.

How to submit: TOR has an open submissions policy. Every proposal is reviewed by at least one member of the editorial staff.

Please note that these guidelines are intended for writers who do not have agents.

Your submissions packet should include:

The first three chapters of your book, prepared in standard manuscript format on white paper. (If your chapters are really short or really long, or you don't use chapter breaks, you may send the first 40-60 pages of your book, provided you stay under 10,000 words.) The submitted text must be made up of consecutive pages and should end at the end of a paragraph, not in mid-sentence. Standard manuscript format means margins of at least 1 inch all the way around; indented paragraphs; double-spaced text; and Courier or Times Roman in 10 or 12 pitch. Please use one side of the page only and do not justify the text. Do not bind the manuscript in any way. Make sure the header of the ms. includes either your name or the title of the book and the page number (on every page).

A synopsis of the entire book. The synopsis should include all important plot elements, especially the end of the story, as well as aspects of character development for your main characters. The synopsis should run between three and ten pages in standard manuscript format.

A dated cover letter that includes your name and contact information and the title of the submitted work. Briefly tell them what genre or subgenre the submission falls into and mention any qualifications you have that pertain to the work. Please list any previous publications in paying markets.

A self-addressed, stamped, business-size envelope for their reply letter. They do not return submissions. Proposals are recycled. If you live outside the United States, please go to http://www.usps.com/onlinepostage to see internet postage options. If you do not include an SASE, you will not receive a reply at all.

Please send only one proposal in each submissions packet. If you have written a series, send a proposal for the first book only.

You may include a reply postcard. They don't open submissions until they're ready to read them, so you'll likely get the "I got it" postcard the same day you receive their response to your project.

If you want to be sure that your manuscript was delivered, please ask for a return receipt or a signature confirmation when you post it.

Here are some tips to help the whole process work smoothly:

Don't send a query letter. It's practically impossible to judge a project from a query. We'd rather see your proposal.

Don't send submissions or inquiries by email or fax. They do not respond to emailed or faxed submissions, queries, or inquiries about the status of submissions.

21 comments:

Why would an author in today's publishing world be content to wait for months just to hear back from a publisher, when they can have their book published online in just a few hours? I once dreamed of walking into a bookstore and seeing my books, but once I read the fine print I realized that I would have to give up control of my book for a very, very small percentage of the profits (not to mention all creative control of the story and cover art). Since I started self publishing a few years ago, I've been able to write what I wanted, how I wanted, and publish each of my 15 books when I wanted. I've sold thousands of copies, quite my day job, moved my family across the country and lived my dream, all because I stopped waiting on publishers to respond and took my stories directly to readers by publishing independently.

You have a point, buy for a new author there is nothing better than name recognition. Publishing your short stories in award winning magazines and your first few novels through major publishers is a great way to separate the exceptional writers from the mountain of slush that has buried the self-publishing scene. It's also a great reality check for new writers who might not be quite as polished as they think.

Toby... you are spot-on with your remarks. Amazon KDP is the best for a new author / struggling author who does not have a lot of money to pay for self-publishing and they pay 70-percent royalties but soon switching to pages read royalties due to the flooded market. Online publishing has become a vast ocean. Hard to make a ripple these days even if you are an A-List author.

Hi TobyI'm currently writing my first fantasy novel. I published an Amazon Bestseller http://www.amazon.com/Gremlin-Goddess-Secrets-Total-Transformation-ebook/dp/B00N4DDVQA in 2014, but for the last year, my publisher has not been particularly supportive and I am getting nowhere. Is there a way that I can contact you? I would love to learn more about self-publishing as I am considering this as my next avenue. - See more at: http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.co.za/2014/03/4-major-science-fiction-and-fantasy.html?showComment=1453118262467#c1982838293330735872

Hi Toby, I am also an aspiring writer, and with no sense of author support, I was wondering if you could contact me. Or any published author that reads this, I would love to have some help. My email is Philpot.anthony92@gmail.com thank you in advance

Actually, it took years for me to get my trilogy into print - not months. The advantage is that once you get published by a big name in the industry, you have a pedigree. You pay the price for that pedigree (no control over your book, low royalties - if any, very little advertising), but having a publisher as a writing credit means that editors will at least read your proposals.

An author would want a publisher if he or she would prefer not to have to take on all the work involved in DIY publishing. It's great that it's worked well for you, Toby, but some writers prefer just to write and let other people handle the rest of the work—and the cost.

Not to be Debbie Downer, but has Ace changed their policy? Last I saw they weren't accepting. In fact DAW was the only Penguin family publisher who was still taking according to the site. I hope that changed though.

Hi Penny, I can't figure out whether Ace has changed its policy or not. There is no up-to-date information on their site, just an admonition (from Penguin) to get an agent. Other sites still list Ace as one of the houses that accepts manuscripts. To be on the safe side, I'd submit to Daw or Tor. Tor also has a digital imprint - as does Random/Penguin.

First, try to find an agent. When it comes to contract negotiations, agents get better terms. Publishers are also more likely to respond to agents. As for how these publishers treat authors, the best source of information is Absolute Write. (Just type the name of the publisher and "absolute write" into a google search.)

Thanks so much for your reply. That was my gut feeling - to try to find an agent first. I was also thinking that if I get rejections from three publishers, that in itself might put agents off. Nice to have a plan of action - to narrow down an agent list....

Start by researching self-publishing platforms. (Smashwords and Createspace are the two most popular.) Pick the one that best suits your needs. (Do you want to release your book in both print and digital formats? What kind of distribution do you want?) Then, before you publish, plan your marketing strategies. (Reviews, ads, book signings, etc.) There are a lot of resources on the "Self-Publishing" tab on this blog that will help you with marketing and promotion. Be sure to read the self-publishing success stories.

Hey, I'm currently writing my first book and I have been wanting to find a editor and a publisher. I have been searching for several months and I would like some suggestions on some publishing companies. Any ideas?

I am seeking a literary agent. I am a self published novelist. I finished my novel and published it in 2014 online at lulu.com createspace.com and smashwords.com. I have a total of eight books in the series. I have more I am working on to add to the list. I was told it's a great story and someday would be great adaptable on the big or small screen.

It is a science fiction and fantasy adventure story called the time stone.

A group of unlikely heroes from the opposite sides of the track embarks on the most ultimate human adventure surrounding an ancient alien transportation device. The four main characters travel through time in search of answers and a way home but end up making a difference in terms of helping to solve an age old mystery and avert a disaster in the future from occurring. They learn a lot about themselves in the process.

Please let me know if you want to read it or you can go to the websites I mentioned and download it for free along with the others in the series.

I am confident this project which is essentially a life work project of mine that I envision to have numerous volumes of in the series is going to be a multi billion dollar blockbuster.

Jeffrey you can try some agents who accept sci-fi (middle grade, YA, or general), but most agents don't want to represent books after you have self published. If you haven't self published the rest in the series, you may still have an opportunity. If you have already self published the first book only, you should do everything you can to market and get the sales up on it BEFORE you present the sequels to an agent. You can google "science fiction literary agents" to get the right agent.